The Sun Also Rises..

February 2, 2009

So, I’ve been in Stockholm a week already.. (for those who’ve just tuned in, I’m here to record my third album). It’s taken me a while to acclimatize – it felt like it was about 40 degrees the day I left Sydney and it was -5 when I arrived here. I’ve already seen a bit of snow, and even the sun (only once) today! (hence the title of this blog entry..) Today I took some time out to be a tourist and went to the Vasa Museum. It houses the famous Vasa ship which sank just as it was heading out of Stockholm in 1628. It remained under water all that time until it was relocated in the 1950s and then restored. 95% is still the original ship because it was preserved in mud. It’s pretty spectacular to see. In the museum you walk in and there it is right before you.

Jennie (the friend I’m staying with but who I’ve been referring to as “mummy” because she’s looking after me so well) has made me feel at home in her cute little apartment. She’s a great cook too.. culinary highlights have included lentil stew and swedish style meatballs with cranberry sauce. I’m cooking the Blasko special for her tonight.. asian style stir fry over mashed potato (believe me, it works!)

Anyway, it’s probably important to talk about music in this blog! Bjorn (the producer guy) and I have been starting to give some rough shape to my songs. Sadly a few have already fallen by the wayside – we’ve narrowed it down to 14 so far. We’ve rehearsed a couple of times with drummer Fredrik Rundqvist who doesn’t seem too fazed by us changing our minds about what we want every few minutes. I heard the term “post chorus” for the first time yesterday.. no, it’s not a new movement in music, it’s the musical bit that comes after the chorus in a song! I’m considering calling the album this. (this is a joke.. it’s hard to convey sarcasm in a blog). What else? um.. we start recording at what I keep referring to as “the big studio” on Friday.. Atlantis Studios. It’s a grand old studio where little has changed since the 60s. ABBA did some stuff there and the piano that they recorded some of their hits on is there too. Anyway, it’s got a cool look and, more importantly, it sounds great. I’m a little nervous, probably why I keep saying “the big studio”… I guess it’s a little daunting after spending most of the year in a small room writing and recording demos.